Anna Maria Rossi

Making Archaeology Abroad. A Post-colonial perspective
in Malta

This research is about
the archaeological site of Tas-Silġ
(Marsaxlokk), Malta. The sanctuary of Tas-Silġ, effectively defined as ‘an abridged account
of Maltese archaeology’, is a hugely important site with a multi-period
occupational history beginning in the late Neolithic. It has been the centre of
extensive excavations since 1963. At that time, in a political and social
context that was leading to the independence of Malta from British rule, an
Italian expedition (Missione Archeologica Italiana a Malta) started its first
campaign under the support of the Maltese Nationalist Government.

The study primary
investigates the terms upon which Tas-Silġ has
been materialized as an archaeological site. The analysis unveils the
complexity of the process and the close interaction between the political,
social, anthropological and archaeological issues involved. It then assesses
the role that institutions and individuals play in the materialization process
and their reciprocal relations. The study
also looks at the effects of such process on the community of
non-professionals.

In looking at the
making of Tas-Silġ, this
tudy indirectly addresses crucial issues about the politics of archaeology and
the negotiation of national identity in Malta, as it has gradually emerged from
a long course of colonial history.

On
a broader scale this research intends to contribute on the debate about the
notion of making archaeological abroad, arguing the need of an in-depth
analysis on the complex set of interactions that this sort of intellectual
enterprise triggers in the host country. It poses the question of the genuine
nature of this practice; it addresses the issue of what possibly makes it a
form of material and intellectual (neo) colonialism. This study relies on
qualitative research methodology. Archival research is combined with
face-to-face and groups interviews.